1977-11 November Classic Newsletter

November 1977 Selection of California Wine

COURY VINEYARDS CHARDONNAY - 1975

This wine comes from an area twenty five miles west of Portland and forty miles from the Pacific Ocean, as the crow flies, at the foothills of the coast range in Oregon. Charles Coury, M.S.C. Enol­ogy U.C. Davis, winemaker, started his winery in 1965. He has 56 acres of the old Reuter ranch plan­ted with 4 varietals and is doing a remarkable job of producing premium wines in Oregon. An interest­ing note is that wine was made 100 years ago in Ore­gon, in this same region. One of the wines from the same ranch was submitted to the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904 and won a silver medal for their entry of "Klevener." In­terestingly, that is the word for Chardonnay in German.

We think the 1975 Chardonnay by Charles Coury deserves another silver medal, at this modest price. It is pale gold in color, and has a fra­grant, varietal nose. It has a crisp light flavor that is fresh. A hint of oak tells us it will develop some complexities when laid down. It is bottled in hock bottles which is becoming traditional for all Ore­gon wines. Enjoy with fish or fowl.

$4.75/fifth $51.30/case

November 1977 Selection of Imported Wine

CASTEL DANIELIS, ACHAIA-CLAUSS 1971

From the cradle of civilization, the Peloponese, we bring you one of the best Greek wines we have sampled. Achia (pro­nounced Ah-key-ya) Clauss is the major firm in the wine trade of Greece. They have consistently provided a sound wine at a very modest price and this Castel Danielis is no exception.

The nose is very similar to a Cote du Rhone, grapey and assertive. The taste is just as similar, exhibiting a firm hearty flavor and a long, lingering finish with surprising depth and character.

While you pay $4.00 to $5.00 for a comparable French or California wine, our selection offers a quality product for the price. All-in-all fine value to compliment a zesty meal such as eggplant Parmesan, spag­hetti and meatballs, or roast leg of pork.

$2.99/22fl.oz. $32.49/case

Thanksgiving Holiday

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and marketing surveys have revealed that more people serve wine for this day than for any other occasion. And why not; when so much effort has been lav­ished on one meal, it should be complete with a bottle of wine to grace the table. Turkey being the usual fare for the day, the selection of wine is somewhat sim­plified, as almost any dry white wine is suitable. Your choice of wine would be guided more by your personal preferences than anything else. If however, you only occ­asionally drink wine, we would like to suggest the following:

MONTEREY VINEYARDS CHARDONNAY-'75
This is a dry wine with a light straw color. It has a pleasant nose and medium body. It is very well balanced and has a pleasant finish. Really quite a good buy at $4.75/fifth.

PEDRONCELLI PINOT CHARDONNAY-'76
This is also a dry wine with a light golden color. It has medium body with a very pleasurable touch of oak. It is soft, well rounded, and finished remarkably well. The unfortunate thing about this wine. is that it is somewhat limit­ed in supply. It is truly an in­credible value at only $4.00/fifth while it lasts.

CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE JOHANNISBERG RIESLING-'76
This Johannisberg from Washington state is a genuine surprise. It is everything you would expect in a Johannisberg, and at a very reasonable price. A dry wine with good color, body, and varietal character. It is available at $4.25/fifth.

CHENIN BLANC-'76
Chenin Blancs range from sweet to dry, and this one is on the dry side. It has a light greenish-straw color and is very typical of the variety in character. It is light and most refreshing. Available at $3.50/fifth.

WENTE BLANC DE BLANC-n.v.
This one is just a hint sweeter but is still considered a dry wine. It is a blend of Chenin Blanc and Ungi Blanc, with Chenin predominating. It is light in color and body but is a very well rounded wine. This has been one of our all time popul­ar wines. It is a sure thing to please almost any holiday gathering Only $2.95/fifth.

WE BUY ON TASTE

Every new wine added to our in­ventory is bought on taste. Our shelves are sometimes not as vol­atile as other wine stores. The reason is that we turn down more wines than we buy. (We are told by the trade representatives that we are tough buyers, and that hardly anyone around does this as relig­iously as we do.)

Well----isn't that good?

It is good for us because we are rarely stuck with any poor wine.

It is good for you, our custom­er, because you can buy a new label confidently and know that is sound and a value for the price.

We invite your tasting our eval­uations.